The Artist Date: How to Nurture Your Creativity

The second of Julia Cameron’s “basic tools” for The Artist’s Way probably sounds more like a gift than a tool: the artist date. This has nothing to do with calling up your favorite local artist and making dinner plans (although that doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea, either). Rather the artist date is time that you set aside to nurture your inner artist.

Julia calls it “filling the well.” In her book she writes, “Filling the well involves the active pursuit of images to refresh our artistic reservoirs.”

A visit to an exhibit you’ve been wanting to see, a walk in the park, a photography outing – or something altogether less adult and more playful, whatever it may be – the artist date is your time to treat yourself to a dose of creativity-inspiring activity. It doesn’t matter much how you spend this time or how much you dedicate – even two hours a week counts – but it does matter that you spend it alone.

If you’re feeling dry on inspiration, Instructables.com is a great site with lots of fun DIY projects. A visit to an arts and crafts store, like JoAnn Fabrics, is another good way to get the creative juices flowing.

It’s amazing how easy it can be to let others encroach on this special time. The sliver of time you’ve carved out so carefully will suddenly be given up to work, a significant other or your children. But try hard to make it your own.

When your “artistic reservoirs” are full, creativity comes easier and more naturally – and that empty page before you won’t be blank for long.

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